This plant is a hardy annual. It needs exposure to full sun to grow well. This alyssum comes in four colors. This plant attracts butterflies and beneficial insects because of its sweet scent and nectar. It is a low growing plant and is of only about six inches height in a tight mound. It can spread up to 24.0 cm / 9.36″. It grows in zones of 3-14. The soil pH ranges are 5.6-7.5.
For second bloom, it’s often cut back to half. A well drained soil bed is required for its growth. The soil should be moist to enhance good growth. It is excellent for borders, rock gardens and in pots indoors or outdoors. It’s native of Dutch. The flowers are in clusters and in peach color and hence the name. The leaves are of fine texture. Once the bloom starts, it looks like carpet of flowers or rather a flower bed. It is a decoration plant. It usually blooms in spring/Summer. It is known to handle frost.
Growing conditions for Alyssum Summer Peaches (Honey scented)
• Plant the seeds in early spring.
• Well drained soil is required.
• Exposure to full sun is required.
• Sow in half inch deep in the soil and just cover the seed lightly with soil.
• Keep the soil moist.
• It grows in zones of 3-14.
• The soil pH ranges are 5.6-705.
• The germination of the seeds usually takes ten to fourteen days.
• The minimum germination temperature is 13°C / 55°F and the maximum germination temperature is 24°C / 75°F.
• Once seedlings erupt, it will look like carpet of leaves.
• Once the blooming starts, it will look like carpet of flowers.
• If seeding indoors, sow three to four weeks before the last frost.
• Space the seeds to half to one inch apart.
• These plants can be transplanted.
• Transplant cluster of seedlings in a bunch of four to five.
• Transplant them in the soil with a spacing of three to five inches apart.
• After about six to eight weeks the blooming starts usually.
• In mild-winter areas, Sow the seeds in fall.
Care for Alyssum Summer Peaches (Honey scented)
• Plant the seeds in early spring.
• Well drained soil is required.
• Exposure to full sun is required.
• Keep the soil moist, avoid dry soil for growth.
• In mild-winter areas, Sow the seeds in fall.
• Cut the plant to half once a set of intense flowering is over.
• The plant attracts butterflies and so if planting indoors; let them in a little open space.
• It is known to handle frost.
• These plants can be transplanted, but transplant them in clusters with spacing of three to five inches apart.
August 25th, 2010 | Posted in Article, Cold, Flower, Frost, Grow, Guide, Information, Planting, Plants, Pruning, Seeds, Shade, Soil, Sun, Water | 1 Comment
Sweet Rosie Oday is an Annual and grows up to a height of 4 inches. It is a sweetly scented alyssum with delicious fragrance and bears tiny rose-pink flowers to red-pink to rosy lavender flowers. They form mini-rosettes. The leaves are small to medium and in green color. The flower attracts butterflies and other insects with its honey-like smell. The plant blooms in late spring to first frost. It grows well in light shade or sun. The soil pH should be 6 to 7.
To sow outside, the best time to sow the seeds is in April-May and to sow inside, the best time to sow the seeds is in February-March. This plant is perfect in rock gardens, edging or as a border plant, on rock walls or in pots. It is a decorative plant. Such plants look good in hanging casket as they fill out the casket and spill over the rim of the casket making it lively and full to look at.
How to Grow and Take Care of Sweet Alyssum
To Sow Outside:
• Plant the seeds near the last frost date.
• Sow the seeds in April-May.
• Warm and coastal areas are preferable for its growth.
To Sow Inside:
• Sow the seeds in February-March.
• Sow the seeds 4 – 5 weeks before the last average frost date.
• In both the cases, seeds must be pressed on the surface of the soil.
• Sow the seeds with 1 inch spacing.
• It will take around 5-15 days for seedling to emerge.
• Once the seedlings come out, thin them to a space of 4 inches.
• They transplant best when small.
For buying plants
• Always check for green & healthy plants.
• The plants should show no wilting or disease.
• It’s preferable to buy plants with more leaves and no flowers on them.
• Place them in a place with full sun to light shade.
• Plant them in the spring season, two weeks before last frost.
• The spacing between the plants should be 6-8 inches apart.
Care for sweet Rosie
• It prefers full sun to light shade.
• It prefers well drained to moderate moisture based soil.
• Soil should have a PH of 6 to 7.
• Loamy soil is good for the plant.
• Do not overwater.
• Overwatering can wilt the plant and cause disease.
• Plant them in the spring season, two weeks before last frost.
• If one is buying plant, always look for plants with more leaves and no or minimum flowers.
• Trim away the faded flowers for longer blooming.
• Shear back by half to rejuvenate them, if they look rugged.
• An all-purpose fertilizer can be applied once a month.
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August 24th, 2010 | Posted in Article, Cold, Flower, Frost, Grow, Guide, Planting, Plants, Protect, Pruning, Seeds, Shade, Soil, Sun, Support, Water, Winter | No Comments
Luna plant is a Tropical perennial. It grows in full sun and in normal, sandy and clay type of soils with average to moist soils. This plant is a medium-sized bushy mound of dark green leaves. The stems of the plant die completely in winter. In spring, new growth appears slowly. This plant is hardy in zones 4 and 5; thick mulch is to be spread for better growth. The plants grow best in temperature above 70 degrees. These plants grow extravagantly and are available in other colors too.
The Luna hibiscuses plant produces huge flowers. The flowers bloom from mid summer to later summer and early fall to mid fall and continue until frost. The flower blooms are of rich solid red in color. The foliage is deep green in color. The plant attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The flower head size is very large and is saucer-shaped flowers. The plant grows up to a height of 60-90cm or 23-35 inches. The plant can spread up to 45-60cm or 18-23inches. This plant is used as a decorative plant or border plant or for landscaping. Plant the Luna seeds in summer for best blooms.
Growing conditions for Luna plant
• The area where Luna hibiscus is seeded will need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day.
• Once the frost passes, seed the Luna seeds in an area 6 inches deep in the spring.
• Blend compost of 1 to 2 inches with soil and spread it.
• The spacing of the seeds should be 2 feet apart.
• The seed should be covered with ½ inch of soil.
• Once planted them, water the seeds immediately.
• After about 3-4 weeks, the seeds will germinate.
• Until then, keep watering once in a day.
• As the flowers sprout, water frequently.
• If ground is dry, water more frequently.
• Adding peat-based fertilizer is good for growth.
• Fertilizer can be added once in a month.
• Trim the flowers that are wilting to enhance growth.
• The flowers will bloom well in spring.
Care for Luna hibiscus
• The plant grows well with full sun exposure.
• The soil type needs to be from normal, sandy to clay variety.
• It thrives well in neutral, alkaline and acid soil pH.
• The soil needs to be average moist.
• Do not overwater.
• This plant is deer resistant.
• Seed them in spring for better blooms.
• Space the plant 2 feet apart.
• Add fertilizer for healthy flowers to bloom.
• When the foliage turns light green, then also one can add fertilizer.
• Trim the wilted flowers to ground level to enhance growth in spring.
August 22nd, 2010 | Posted in Article, Cold, Compost, Flower, Frost, Grow, Guide, Information, Nutrition, Pests, Planting, Plants, Protect, Roses, Seeds, Shade, Soil, Sun, Water, Winter | No Comments
Lobularia maritime is an annual plant which grows up to a height of 2-4 inches. The flowers bloom in Spring/summer/fall and are purple in color. The flowers have florets that are ¼ inches wide and 1-2 inches wide clusters. The flowers have honey – like fragrance and acts as a low border plant.
The plants leaves are dense mound medium green and this plant is perfect for rock gardens, around paving stones, edging and a decorative indoor plant, looks beautiful as a hanging casket. It is beautiful as it spills over the casket, hiding its rim. The plant is found in all regions of North America as an annual. It grows in zones 4-9 as a perennial. Butterflies and bees are attracted to this plant.
The plant is also available in pink, lavender and white flowered forms too. It is usually known as Alyssum. It is a short lived plant and is fully hardy. Its common name is Sweet Alyssum and Sweet Alison. The seeds of this plant are yellowish and are in flat round seedpods. The seedling that is produced is bright green.
Growing conditions of Purple Dwarf
• The plant grows well in Full sun to partial shade.
• It prefers dry to moist soil.
• One can buy either plants or grow them from seeds too.
• If buying plants, buy healthy ones with no wilting.
• It’s preferable to buy plants that have not flowered yet.
• The plants need well drained soils.
• Water them moderately.
• If planting seedlings, plant them in early spring.
• Plant the seedlings about two weeks before average frost date.
• Space the seedlings to 6-8 inches apart.
• The soil needs to be dry to moist, but not overwatered.
• If sowing seeds, sow inside before last frost.
• If sown outside, sow them in spring/fall.
• Sow the seeds 1/16 inches deep.
• It will take around 15-20 days for the seedlings to emerge.
• In summer, water regularly.
Care for purple dwarf
• The plant grows well in Full sun to partial shade.
• It prefers dry to moist soil.
• For longer blooming, faded flowers need to be trimmed.
• The plants can be rejuvenated by shearing them back by half.
• In fall, discard plants.
• The summer heat can dry the plants, water them regularly.
• Dry the seeds from the seed heads and sow them during spring.
• It grows in zones 4-9.
• The plant does not like frost.
August 21st, 2010 | Posted in Article, Flower, Grow, Guide, Information, Planting, Plants, Pruning, Seeds, Shade, Soil, Sun, Water | No Comments